Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dead Kennedys

Ted Kennedy is dead. As with the death of George Tiller, I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am quite inclined (borrowing the suggestion of a dear friend) to put on a white suit and dance through the streets drinking champagne. On the other hand, one more (assumably) unrepentant and unremorseful sinner losing his last chance for redemption is not an occasion for celebration. For God wants us all to turn around. He wants us all back: you, me, George Tiller, Teddy Kennedy, every vicious, well-known murderer and every small, poisonous person no one has ever heard of. Our Father waits for all of us to turn away from sin and turn towards a healing, transforming life where we conquer sin every day. All of that is gone for good for Senator Kennedy, and so the occasion of his death should be cause for more grief than that of the greatest saint.

And so as much as I would like to mimic many and say “Teddy Kennedy is dead; Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.”, drink champagne and generally celebrate, I think I (might) finally know better than that.

Photo by Nancy Lane, Boston Herald.com